It was a great summer for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
At media day on Monday, Donovan Mitchell and James Harden spoke about the Cleveland Cavaliers' summer of chemistry building.
There were weddings: Mitchell’s and Craig Porter Jr.’s. There was Harden’s birthday celebration in Phoenix. The U.S. Open in New York. A few players traveled with Mitchell to watch Louisville play. Guys played golf and went bowling. A group even traveled to watch local high school football on Friday, signing autographs and taking pictures throughout the Walsh Jesuit vs. Archbishop Hoban game. And, of course, they got work in on the hardwood as well.
The Cavaliers acquired Harden from the LA Clippers last season. Harden averaged 20.5 points and 7.7 assists per game for Cleveland in the regular season and 19.2 points and 5.5 assists per game in the playoffs.
Cleveland defeated the Toronto Raptors and Detroit Pistons to reach the Eastern Conference Finals last season for the first time since 1992 without LeBron James on the roster. The New York Knicks, who won the 2026 championship against the San Antonio Spurs, swept the Cavaliers in the conference finals.
Mitchell is averaging 26.7 points per game in the regular season and 27.3 points per game in the playoffs in a Cleveland uniform. The Cavaliers acquired him from the Utah Jazz in 2022.
One of the best players in NBA history, Harden has played for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, Clippers and Cavaliers. He holds career averages of 24.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game in the regular season and 22.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game in the playoffs.
Harden is still searching for his first NBA championship. He went to the NBA Finals in 2012 with the Thunder, who lost to LeBron and the Miami Heat in five games.
A top-75 player of all time, Harden has made 11 All-Star teams and eight All-NBA teams. He won the 2011-12 Sixth Man of the Year award with the Thunder and the 2017-18 MVP award with the Rockets.
The Cavaliers re-signed Harden to a three-year, $97 million contract this summer. Harden waited until September to sign his new deal because he was giving Cleveland time to get LeBron, who went to the 76ers.
Mitchell enters this season with career averages of 25.1 points per game in the regular season and 27.8 points per game in the playoffs with the Jazz and Cavaliers.
Mitchell signed a four-year, $273 million maximum contract extension this offseason.
